The Tale of Vault 113
by EMMYPESS
Summary: War never changes. When forced to choose a life underground after the world seemingly falls apart above Meredith's head, she's left to pick up whatever pieces are left behind and start anew, living among neighbors and strangers and searching for her missing family members amid the chaos.
1. Chapter 1

_"War never changes..."_

Meredith sucked in a deep breath as the people pushed in past her in a panic. Over the loudspeakers, the Overseer begged for order and told people to calm down, but it wasn't quite working as well as planned.

"It's overcrowded in here," She heard a woman saying to her husband. "Do we really have to stay?"

"Where's my dog?" A kid asked to no one in particular. "Where's Sparky?"

"I'm scared," Came from more than one person as she pushed past the various groups and families who were trying to stick together. She couldn't find her sister or her brother, and she was beginning to panic the longer it took to spot them.

"Please, one at a time, grab a suit and a Pipboy if you're old enough and proceed to the orientation room," The overhead speakers kept droning on. Meredith hoped there was enough for everybody because there were a lot more people in the Vault than she expected there to be.

"Welcome to Vault 113," Someone said in her ear. She craned her neck to see one of the many scientists scattered about the room. They seemed a bit too pleased to see all of these people coming in so suddenly. "I hope you'll find the conditions satisfactory."

"Women, girls, and infants to the left. Men and boys to the right," Another scientist droned. He wasn't as cheery as the others, but still it unnerved Meredith regardless of his demeanor. Finally, she felt a hand clasp over her shoulder and turn her around.

"Mere!" Her twin sister shouted. Although they looked infinitely different from one another, they were closer to one another than any other person on earth. She hugged her sister tightly as soon as she processed everything and the two began to cry a little while people moved around them.

"I was looking for you all over," Meredith said softly. "Where is Mom and Dad? And Steven?"

Her sister shrugged. "I lost track of them before we even descended into the tunnel. They could be ahead of us or behind us somewhere…."

"Maureen, what if they got stuck behind the Vault door after it closed?" Meredith said in a panic. "It looks like too many people were let in already. What if they didn't make it?"

"I don't know," Maureen said sadly. "I hope they're okay."

Just then, a hand pushed the pair forward, towards the women handing out suits and those odd arm devices. Meredith didn't have a choice; her new belongings were shoved into her arms and she was being lead to the left with her sister.

"We're just doing a medical exam," A woman scientist said as the twins were brought behind a curtain. "Are you two related?"

"Twins," Maureen responded for them. "Um, fraternal-"

"Yes, I got that," The scientist said rudely. She prepared two needles and explained to them that she needed to take some of their blood. Maureen looked like she was going to puke, so Meredith held her sister's hand while they did the drawing. Meredith wasn't as bothered, but still looked away nonetheless.

"We have other family members," Meredith said softly. "A brother, and our parents. Have you seen an older woman pass through with graying hair? Her name is Beth."

The scientist pursed her lips, paused for a moment, and then reluctantly looked through a clipboard of names. She checked down the list, and then paused again before speaking. "Yes, there's a Beth Crawford, if that's who you're looking for. The only 'Beth' on the list."

The girls sighed with relief. There mother had at least made it. Meredith opened her mouth to ask if they could find out about their father and brother, but they were already being pushed out of the room.

A few dressing rooms came next, and so they were forced to strip down and change into the ugly blue suits with yellow lettering. The twins came out simultaneously and silently shared their disapproval on how the suits looked on each of them.

Another scientist stood at the end of the hall looking down at a clipboard with a stern face. She looked up and narrowed her eyes. "You go to upstairs, and you go downstairs."  
The girls panicked and looked to one another. Meredith opened her mouth to speak for them, but the woman interjected before they could say anything. "Do as I say," She told them. "You'll be together again soon enough."

The twins, unable to cope with separating, stood their ground. "We're staying together," Maureen replied. "We can't lose each other again."

Clearly not willing to argue with them, the woman rolled her eyes and told them both to go upstairs then. They ran up the steps quickly, afraid to be caught under her gaze for any longer. Meredith began to wonder if the end of the world made everyone that cold, or if it was just the way the Vault-tec employees had to be.

The room was overcrowded with a myriad of women, both young and old. Some were crying, especially the small children who had been separated from their mothers, and others were either scared or confused or even angry. Meredith silently prayed her mother would be on that deck too, and again, a flood of relief hit her as she spotted the familiar graying brown hair that was always pulled into a messy bun from across the room. She lead Maureen over and tapped her mother's shoulder anxiously.

Her mother turned and gasped, and then embraced the girls lovingly. "I was so afraid we'd be separated for good," She said softly. "So many women are up here who have children in the downstairs, and vice versa. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones."

A few scowls turned there way for a moment, and so Meredith pulled her mother somewhere a little more remote in the room. There was a corner that housed a plastic fern, so they stood near it and talked further.

"Did Dad and Steven make it?" Maureen asked cautiously. "Are they in with the men?"  
"Yes," Their mother said breathlessly. She seemed to be trying her best not to hyperventilate. "They were with me, until we got separated. We were all worried about you two."

"Well at least we're all here, even if some of us are separated," Meredith murmured. "I hope Dad and Steve are okay. I hope they're together like we are."

"Me too," her mother said softly. "I don't know what they're doing this for, but it must be for a good reason. I can't see why-"

Just then, a loud noise of feedback came over on the microphone that was attached to the loudspeakers. Everyone winced and covered their ears for a moment as the noise subsided. Silence followed for a moment before the Overseer spoke again, this time to the small crowd of women who were packed into the tiny room like sardines.

"Welcome to Vault 113, everybody." The speaker said. "I am Overseer Greene, and I will be briefly explaining what's happening next. Unfortunately as most of you know, this is not a drill. Our country is under attack by enemy forces, and has had multiple atom bombs dropped on our soil. The list of death tolls is astronomical and absolutely the most overwhelming tragedy the world has ever seen."

"Most of you are here because you've seeked refuge and haven't given up hope for a future for yourselves and your families, and you are commended for that. That is why this next bit is hard for me to tell you all, but it has to be done regardless. Those of you who are in this room are radiation-free, and therefore allowed to live on in the Vault. Those who are not present are unfortunately too exposed to the radiation, and therefore have to live apart from the rest of you."

An audible gasp came over the room, and Meredith's heart sank as she heard some people burst into tears. A little girl next to her asked if she would ever see her mommy ever again, to which an elderly lady just held her close and shushed her.

"They will live for however long their lives last as the radiation takes over their bodies. It is tragic, but at least they do not have to live on the surface like countless others who've unfortunately survived the initial blast and have to survive under those treacherous conditions."  
"Full cooperation is to be expected out of all of you. You need to be strong after all. You'll be reunited with the men who are also radiation free in just a short while, once everyone is officially settled in. For now, please stay calm and stick together. We can only lean on each other in these distressing times."

The speaker cut off abruptly, and the silence in the room erupted into chaos.

"My mother and my sisters are all downstairs!" A woman shouted. "Am I really the only one who's not sick?"

"My children! They're so young! Who is going to take care of them? I'd rather be with the dying than up here!"

Others just wept. Meredith stared at her mother and her sister, who seemed to be in shock like the rest of the people in the room. After what felt like an eternity, the door at the far end of the room shuffled open, revealing an atrium of sorts. Everyone stepped in hesitantly, trying to quell each other's sobs as they observed their new surroundings. More employees stood around, some holding extra Vault suits and others offering assistance to those with the most needs.

A man stood on the second level balcony and looked down. Across the room, all of the other men and boys who were deemed 'healthy' stepped through. They seemed visibly upset as well, and likely got the exact same message as the women had.

The man who Meredith noticed up on the balcony whistled loudly, which got everyone's immediate attention.

"Listen up! I am the Overseer's Commander in Chief, Officer Brown! She has entrusted me to carry out all of the guardianship business, so here's how that's going to go. All able-bodied and interested persons will meet me near my office in the south wing of the Vault, and we'll start training immediately."

"Now, before we start anything else, I'll explain where everything is located. Housing will be dealt with as soon as I'm finished talking, but the main apartments are also kept in the south wing. The atrium here is the center of everything you'll need. There's a general store, a diner, a small entertainment room, a multilevel classroom for the children, public bathrooms, seating and dining spaces, a library, and a computer room. You'll be able to explore that later. The job office is next to the security room, for anyone who is old enough to be placed in a career path suited for them."

"The doctor's office, the door to the Core room and maintenance, and several other jobs is in the north wing of the Vault. Again, you'll find out more after you're all housed. Overseer Greene will be greeting everyone tonight when you're all here for dinner, and she expects to see all faces present so she can answer any and all questions you may have."

As quickly as he had appeared to them, Officer Brown turned and entered a door that was labeled 'Overseer' and left the mass alone for a while. Meredith began searching for her brother and father, hoping to God they made it into the healthy group.

"George!" She heard her mother shouting. "George, where are you?" It seemed like an endless stream of boys and men were coming through but neither Steven nor Meredith's father seemed to be apart of the group. When everyone was present and reunited, the three women stood hopelessly in front of the door where the boys had come from and tried their best not to cry.

"It can't be," Meredith's mother said quietly. "They were next to me the whole time. How did they get sick and I didn't?"

Meredith tensed up a little as her twin clasped a hand around her arm. Maureen leaned in to Meredith's ear and said shakily, "You were the one who had to go downstairs, but they let you up here anyway. Does that mean you're sick?"

Meredith hadn't even considered that thought. Her heart dropped and she turned to face the other people in the room. Those who were still missing family members, which was the majority of them, were happy to see who they were with but were still upset that not everyone had made it upstairs. She wondered what the sick were doing, and whether they were given the same living conditions or if they were being treated any differently.

Most of all, she wondered what difference it would make if she lived among the healthy instead of those who were sick. Was she a liability? Would they find her out and force her to separate? Why was she let upstairs anyway if all of the Vault-tec people knew what was happening? So many questions flooded her mind, she needed something to distract her from it all. A few Vault-tec people entered the room and approached different people in the crowds.

One of them approached her mother, and Meredith's heart began to race as the man opened his mouth to speak. "A mother and daughter?"

"Two daughters," She corrected. "Both of these girls are my daughters."

"My mistake. Must be an error on the page. Anyway, you'll be given a two-room apartment, unless your daughters prefere the dorms since they're technically old enough to live apart from you."

"No, we want to stay together," Maureen said quickly. She looked toward Meredith and then towards their mother. Everyone seemed to agree with her, and the employee continued.

"Very well. We have a room with a bunk in one room and a queen in the other. Will that suit you all well enough?"

"Anything is fine," their mother said. "Thank you."

"No, thank you," He said with a smile. "Here's the key I have for you guys. The room number is on it, it's on the second floor in the south wing. Get settled, and come back in a few hours for dinner."

He left without another word, and the trio silently moved towards the door that all the other families with keys were walking towards.

Meredith noticed that all of the girls missing their mothers had at least their fathers or other male relatives to claim them. She was happy that it worked out well enough, because she couldn't imagine what they would do if any children had been orphaned in the whole ordeal.

She put her worries on the back burner for a little bit as they made their way down the long hallway and went upstairs to find their room. The layout of the Vault was simple and easy to follow, and there were maps on some of the walls to help anyone who happened to lose themselves in the halls.

"Here it is," Maureen stated. Their mother unlocked the door, and it slid open for them. There was a small living area and three other doors, one on each wall.

"I guess that's the bathroom," Maureen said, and opened the door to confirm her thoughts. It had a shower, a toilet, and a sink. A stack of fresh white towels sat on the closed toilet lid. There were only two.

"We'll get an extra one," Maureen assured her sister. "I… uh, I'm sure it's an oversight, like the man said."  
"I hope so," Meredith whispered. "I… really hope so." At least she had a bed to sleep in, for now. Maureen claimed the top bunk, so Meredith sat down on the bottom and stared down at her old shoes. They were the only things she really owned that weren't from the vault. An old pair of converse that had lasted her all through high school. She'd been about to ditch them to get a new pair when the news announced the attacks and forced her to find the nearest vault with her family.

"I miss Dad and Steve," Maureen said, draping half of her body off of the bunk. They had a bunk bed at home too, so she always did this. She looked at Meredith upside down, but even when she was acting silly, she still couldn't hide her sadness.

"I know," Meredith said. "I hope they're okay down there."  
"Me too." Maureen sat back up and then jumped down from the bunk. "It's a pretty big room. We have two desks, and our own dressers."

"Not like we need to keep much clothes," Meredith muttered. "What are these things, anyway? They couldn't afford to stock us with normal stuff?"

"I don't know," She said softly. She opened the drawers, and they were mostly bare except for an extra suit and some under cloths. "And look! The pajamas are at least okay looking."

She pulled out a white t-shirt with grey sweatpants. The Vault number was plastered on them like everything else, but at least it wasn't the ugly blue color they were forced to wear. "Makes me look fat," Maureen frowned when she looked in the mirror. She pulled her dark brown hair into a ponytail and searched through other drawers, revealing some basic necessities they'd been left with.

"Maury?" Meredith asked. "Why would they give us only two towels, but stock this room like three or more people would live here?"

She shrugged softly. "Maybe they forgot?"

"Maybe," She mumbled a reply. Meredith got up and walked across the room next to her sister. Maureen had always been the better twin deep down, although it was weighed out by how humble and inclusive she was to share the spotlight with Meredith. Meredith was average size, a few inches shorter than her sister, and had a much plainer shade of brown hair, which fell a bit unevenly on her shoulders because her last hair cut had been messed up.

Maureen placed her arm around her sister's shoulder and squeezed tight. "Whatever happens, we'll stick together, right?"

"Of course," Meredith replied. "Together forever. Hopefully life down here won't be as dull as it seems it'll be."

Just then, there was a knock at their metallic door. It opened a second later, and their mother appeared. She seemed like she'd been crying and was trying to cover it up, but her cheeks were still red and her eyes were a bit puffy. She smiled at her daughters as she entered the room and crossed her arms as she observed the surroundings. "Not too shabby."

"It is what it is," Meredith replied. "At least we have a place to stay."

They all nodded softly, and an overwhelming silence came over the room. Trying to ignore the reality of their situation was becoming increasingly difficult as they finally began to truly process what had happened. Their mother was the first to start crying, and then shortly after, Maureen burst into sobs, and Meredith felt her own tears pooling down her cheeks as they all embraced one another and cried on each other's shoulders. Life had truly changed, and whether it was for better or worse, they would have to deal with it. The only solace they had now was in each other.


	2. Chapter 2

Hours passed and there was nothing. No announcements, no acknowledgement of any kind. Evan was starting to get anxious as the people around him spoke in low tones and searched for a way out of the small room they'd all been shoved into. Several people were wondering where their loved ones had been placed, as most of them had been separated when directed to go left or right.

Evan had no one. His parents hadn't even made it past the Vault door; he'd been shoved in at the last minute and forced to leave them behind. It was tearing him apart on the inside, but he knew he couldn't dwell on it, not when so many little kids were in this room too, with no fathers or mothers or siblings around to hold them. He wanted to look strong for those kids, even if it did little to quell their aching hearts.

"Someone get that bloody door open," A man with an accent muttered near him. He looked over and noticed that the guy seemed about middle aged and had dark hair. Next to him was a boy who was probably thirteen or fourteen, who clung to the older gentleman's sleeve and shied away when he caught Evan staring. Trying to distract his emotions from all that was happening, Evan wondered the stories behind all the guys in this room. Some were alone, and others were huddled in groups. A lot of fathers and sons, and even a few grandfathers by the looks of it. He really wished that he could have stayed with his sister; She was so young and probably very scared without him.

Finally, there was a screeching sound as one of the men had found a crowbar and flung the rusty door open. The Vault wasn't in the best condition and Evan had a feeling that Vault-tec wouldn't have been this careless in putting it together. All of the other ones around the world had been demonstrated and seemed so much cleaner and put together. Sighing, he followed the crowd as they made their way through the narrow dim lit halls to a small atrium area on the other side.

"Where is the Overseer?" He heard voices up ahead saying. They were female voices, and his heart leapt at the thought that they were being joined together with the women who'd been separated from them hours ago. He searched fervently for his sister, praying that she wasn't sent with the second group of women, which seemed to be nowhere in sight of these ladies. Some reunions were created, but a lot of people still stood alone or in small groups, wishing they could see their separated loved ones again.

After a moment of people chatting amongst themselves and wondering what to do next, the guy with the accent got up on the small platform at the one end of the room and whistled to get everyone's attention. His son stood close by, crossing his arms and avoiding eye contact with the crowd. The man cleared his throat a little and stroked his graying beard questioningly.

"Alright, everyone," He said loudly so that all could hear him. "It seems like we may have been abandoned to our own devices down here. We have no idea where the rest of our families are, and it seems like we won't really get far if we don't start doing something soon. Now, we can either search the Vault until we find them, or we can start settling things and making sure we have enough food and stuff to last us."

Immediately the crowd began to murmur to one another and whisper questions or suggestions between one another. A few brave voices shouted out, saying things like "Let's find food!" or "Can we pry the other doors open at all?" but before any decisions could be made, the Vault began to shake violently, and everyone screamed and huddled together into one big mass, hoping that nothing would fall and kill them.

Evan ended up clasping onto a little girl who seemed to have no one else to hang on to. She seemed a little bit younger than his sister but equally as scared and lost as he imagined her to be, so he held this one tight and hoped the shaking would stop soon.

When it did, the lights flickered a bit and the room seemed to settle into an eerie silence. Evan looked around at everyone else who were just as concerned as he was as to what just happened. Some people burst into outrage after a moment; the Vault was promised to be safe, and they were promised to have a life with their families sans all of this confusing activity. Others began to cry, and whether it was for fear or for longing, Evan couldn't tell.

He himself felt his heart squeezing under the pressure. Part of him wished he could have just died outside with his family. Another part of him wished that he'd been sent upstairs. Even if those people were dead, or just as scared and alone as he was, at least he'd have his sister to hold on to. This little girl seemed to appreciate his grip on her arm, and even held on tightly to his hand with hers, but she was not Sophia.

The man at the stage sighed, running a hand over his face. "Listen. I don't know if the Vault is going to hold up for long. None of us do, really. But it seems like we're out of options. Someone form a group to scout out the kitchen. Other people find out where the beds are, and anything else we could use. We need to inventory our supplies and ration it out equally. We need to-"

"Who says you get to order us around?" A voice in the crowd retaliated. "You're not the Overseer! You're not a Vault-tec! Why do you think you have any say in what we should and shouldn't do?"

The crowd made some uneasy noises and seemed to sway a little as people looked to one another in contemplation. Evan himself felt the same curious thoughts that this man seemed to be speaking; why did they have to listen to this stranger talking at a podium? Shouldn't they wait and see if anyone was going to come down and assist them?

The man at the stage nodded curtly. "I understand your disdain for my orders, but I'll have you know that I served in the military, and I know how to keep order and survive. If you haven't noticed, it's been hours since we've had any inkling of guidance from the people who are supposed to be keeping us happy and safe. I feel it's necessary to act, even if it feels odd or not needed right now. I'm sure you're all hungry and tired anyway, and we really should do something instead of standing around like shepherd-less sheep."

"He's got a good point," A woman said loudly at one end of the room. "I say we put it to a vote. Anyone who wants to go with the Brit's command?" Almost unanimously, everyone's arms went in the air. The few who didn't agree with the man on the podium just crossed their arms and dealt with the fact that things weren't going to go their way.

Before Evan decided to go off with one of the search groups, he knew he'd have to finally acknowledge this kid who seemed to grow attached to him. She had blond hair and bright blue eyes, and almost looked like a doll to him. He knelt down and asked, "What's your name?"

"Molly," She said softly. "Molly Burton. What's yours?"

"I'm Evan Mitchell," He said slowly. "Do you have anyone down here you know?"  
She shook her head after looking around. "I think my mom was sent upstairs like the others. I wish they didn't do that."

"Me either," Evan muttered. "Listen, if you want me too, I'll look after you until we find your mom, okay?"

"You'll do that?" She asked astonishedly. Her eyes widened as she looked at him, and her grip on his hand tightened even more. "But, but what if she's never found again?"

Evan bit his lip for a second. He wasn't sure how willing he was to think that far because he was fairly certain that there had to be some way to get to the group above them, but it was a possibility he may never see his sister again. He buried his urge to break down at the thought and shook his head. "Even if we can't find her, I'll stay by you, okay? I have a sister who's nine years old up there, and I'll be looking for her too."

"I'm six," Molly whispered. "Is your sister brave like you?"

"I'm sure she's being very brave. And you are too, you know. It's scary, but you'll be okay if you face your fears, okay? I want to go help the other adults, so if you stay here with the other kids, I'll be right back."

"Okay," Molly whispered. She looked down at her shoes and let go of Evan's hand slowly. He stepped away and looked back a few times before catching up with the group who were scouting out the other rooms of the underground building.

This group contained a few adults and some teenagers looking for something to do to be useful. He tagged along at the back end of the line and tried to listen as the leader of the line announced what was up ahead of them.

"Some hanging wires, be careful," She called behind her. "They might still have electricity running through them. It's kind of damp down here, too." People whispered between one another. Evan pocketed his hands and peered into the darkened windows as they passed each locked room. Some rooms were empty and others had unlabeled boxes of stuff. When the group approached an open door, only a handful of people were sent in to retrieve anything of use, and the rest of them kept going on. The Vault seemed incredibly huge, and would have easily fit everyone that had been separated to the upstairs rooms. Evan was beginning to suspect that things weren't as they seemed.

"You, go in that room with Helen and Jacob," The leader of the group pointed at Evan. It was at that point that Evan realized the group had dwindled down to just a few people, and there was only two open doors left in the hallway that hadn't been entered yet. Evan said nothing and just followed whom he assumed Helen and Jacob were, and felt the walls for a light switch of some sort. The room was almost too dark to see as he scrambled around and nearly knocked everything over in the process.

"Be quiet," Helen hissed. "What if there's something in here that could hurt us?"

"Like what?" The guy named Jacob replied. "A rat? Some stupid spiders? There's no one down here but us, Helen."

"You never know," She muttered, opening a crate up and examining the contents. "What if they put us down here because there's actually no hope of surviving? What if they plan to kill us all, or something worse?"

"I feel like they would have done that by now," Evan suggested. "They've had plenty of time to gas us or gun us down as we entered through the gates. And they could have just left us _all_ outside. Everyone out there is dead anyway."

A silence dropped over the room for a moment, and Evan started to regret what he had said. They all had people they loved who hadn't made it to safety. Whether they had family upstairs or on the surface, it didn't matter. What mattered now was surviving in this abyss.

Evan had discovered a couple of medical supply boxes and decided to carry them out with him. He noticed that the other little groups of people were carrying back their finds as well, so he followed them down the hall back to the atrium where the children and anyone who decided to hold back were staying.

People stacked bigger crates to one corner of the room and started to separate and observe findings in the middle of the room. He left the medical supplies on the floor next to a metal picnic table and looked around to see if there was anyone taking charge other than the guy who'd been on stage just a half an hour ago.

"Is there anyone down here who was a doctor before the war?" Someone called in one corner of the room. "We'll need to start an infirmary or something so that if any of us get sick or hurt…"

"Put all food in this kitchen," Another voice called. "We have a full kitchen, but not much food in it. If you find anything…"

Evan felt that familiar tug on his shirt sleeve, and looked down to find Molly clinging to him again. He patted her head softly and wondered what else he should do in the meantime. She tugged again after he'd noticed her, so he knelt down to hear what she had to say.

"I'm hungry," She whispered. "Is there anything to eat?"

Evan looked around. The people who'd been finding the food and putting it away were also putting together a pot of stew, it seemed. He nodded and stood back up, holding tightly to her hand. "They're making food for everyone, don't worry. Let's go find us a place to sleep, okay? It looks like they've found some mattresses in the other rooms and they're bringing out some metal bunk beds."

"Okay," She mumbled. Her small fingers were so cold between his fingers, he wondered if she was feeling okay. Not that anyone was really _okay_ ; he was sure that there would be a lot more crying later that night as everyone tried to get to sleep.

Grabbing one of the thin mattresses that was stacked near the hallway door, he walked over to where a few guys were putting together some bedframes. Without a word, he helped the men out, and after twenty minutes, they had a few more beds together and pushed against the long stretch of endless wall.

"Why are there mirrors on this wall?" One of them asked. "I barely like lookin' at myself in the mirror when I shave."

The other guy chuckled, and added, "Yeah, it's too bad we all gotta see your face every wakin' moment!" They laughed together and patted each other's backs before moving to the next bed. Evan stopped and stared at what they had. Some other people were bringing over the empty crates and making dividers for each bunk. A little bit of privacy was going to be appreciated.

Molly sat on the bottom bunk of the bed and twiddled her fingers together. She stared as Evan handed her a blanket and a pillow and began setting the bed up for them. "Do you want the top bunk or the bottom one?" He asked her. She just sat quietly on the bottom and stared down at her hands. He frowned, concerned that maybe there really was something wrong with her, and then placed his own blanket and pillow up above her on the top bunk. He hoped they put it together right, because he didn't want the bed coming crashing down on her.

"Here you go," A woman tapped his shoulder, holding a stack of crates. "Make yourself a wall between that bunkbed and your own. We have so many crates and nothing to do with them."

He did as he was told and observed how everyone else was constructing their walls. The crates were big but lightweight, so it was easy to stack them and place them carefully together. A small living space was created for him and Molly. He figured they could also drape an extra blanket over, sort of like a door.

After making his bed and jumping back down from the top bunk, he turned towards Molly and sat next to her on the edge of the bed. She still hadn't moved much or said anything, and even the overwhelming aroma of food being cooking in the kitchen just across the atrium wasn't enough for her to ask again for food.

He patted her back and tried not to get teary eyed as he thought of his sister, who must have been so scared without him or their parents. He hoped that maybe someone who was missing their sister or something was comforting her up there while he was down here with this little girl and making sure she was okay.

"I'll get us some dinner," He said softly. "We can use this extra box as a table, okay?"

"Okay," She whispered. She was speaking even quieter than before. Before leaving, he placed the back of his hand against her forehead, just like he would have done back at home for Sophie. Her head was burning up hot. He left the room and walked toward the medical equipment first.

"You find anything else?" A man asked as he stared at a pile of stimpacks. "I heard there are some rooms back there that can't be opened but have even more medical supplies lying about. Has it been opened yet?"

"I don't know," Evan said precariously. "But, um, I have a little girl who's getting really sick all of the sudden. She's over by my bunk. Um, is there anyway you could… look at her?"

"I can see what's wrong with her in a couple of minutes," The man said. "How old is she?"

"She's six," Evan replied. "And, she's burning up really bad. I don't… I don't know what to do."

The doctor pressed his lips into a thin line but nodded curtly. "I'll go over now, then. She sounds like she's got the flu, or some other sickness. It is - er, was - flu season up above. We need to minimize the spread though, so I'll go and give her some medication."

He got up, and Evan quickly went over to the kitchen and got a couple of bowls of soup. He figured she would need to eat some, especially if she was going to have to get better quickly. When he reentered his little cubby of a home, the doctor was already looking down Molly's throat and asking her how she felt.

"I don't know," was all she seemed to be able to say. Evan set the bowls down on the crate-table and knelt on the floor so that he was eye-level with the girl.

"You need to rest," The doctor concluded. "And take this medicine." He set the bottle down carefully on the table, between the two bowls. "Just like I said, it sounded like the flu. Keep her here, don't let her wander too much. We don't want anyone else getting ill, especially now. Goodnight you two."

"Goodnight," Evan said as the doctor left. He settled down on the bed next to Molly like before and urged her to eat. She drank the broth and ate some of the soup, but she seemed to have lost her appetite completely after a while. The medicine was gooey and purple in color, and she made a funny face when she tasted it, but only minutes later, she was curled up in a ball and falling asleep against her pillows.

Evan kept sitting next to her and watching her, making sure she didn't stir too much in her sleep and wasn't getting any worse as time passed. He thought of Sophie and hoped that she wasn't getting sick like Molly was. For the first time since entering the Vault, he felt tears escaping his eyes as he tried his best not to dwell on the past and only look towards the future of surviving down here.


End file.
